


(Un)Pleasant Memories

by zodiac_emma



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Eventual Romance, F/M, Immigration & Emigration, LGBTQ Female Character of Color, LGBTQ Themes, Romance, Themes of Racism, and there are serious moments, but there's also goofy and funny and happy and fluffy moments too, i know this sounds like a super serious story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:00:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25946974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zodiac_emma/pseuds/zodiac_emma
Summary: Of buttercups and kaseya berriesOf love and pǔkawa jelliesIn reflection of the land, our hearts beat and glowWe are the people of the sacred GotoroMaeve Steele, age 32, born in the Gotoro Empire, raised in the Ferngill Republic, and a failed jazz musician. Stuck working at JojaCorp for a good few years, she believes that she can never find true happiness until she stumbles upon an old letter her grandfather sent and her grandmother hand-delivered decades ago. Knowing that there's nothing she's truly leaving behind, Maeve hits the road and makes the big decision to become a farmer and live on Steele Farm, the farm her grandfather once lived on.
Relationships: Harvey/Female Player (Stardew Valley)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	1. Steele Farm

**Author's Note:**

> I've updated this fanfiction quite a bit. There's now an Appendix (more to come) and I've rewritten the first chapter. Hope y'all enjoy!

It was a good thing that she cut off any contact with her father. She couldn’t even begin to think of the tumultuous amount of embarrassment if her father knew just how much of a failure she was. White button-up, business black pencil skirt, and killer heels all to sit in front of a box of a computer that probably existed long before she was a fetus for the lowly customer service position of a high-status company that was Joja Corporations. 

Maeve Steele, age 32, and a disgrace to society. For who she was, she was lucky to have this job. Especially with tensions between the Ferngill Republic and the Gotoro Empire heating up within the past few years. She was the black pawn in the white chess territory, it seemed. Nationality wise, she was Ferngillian through and through, but no one believed her. Being ethnically Gotorian was something else. She was glad that the Empire’s ass was being whooped, but she could never say that as she was always labeled a traitor or a sympathizer. How could one sympathize with the daily bombings, uptight sameness among all people, outcasting and killing of the local tribes, and the tyrant of an emperor? The same government who squashed out culture and traditions, forced people to work to literal death, and were behind the strange disappearances of those who spoke out. That was the enemy in her eyes. 

So every day Maeve told herself that she should be glad to have this job, even if it barely paid her rent, bills, and groceries. And yet, she wasn’t glad. Every day of her life was pure misery. Not just every day that she’s had the job as a customer service representative, but every day that she had no friends, every day that her degree went to waste, every day that she was no longer with her fiancée, every day that she had no contact with her father, and every day that her mother was dead.

But there was nothing that Maeve could do. She couldn’t just up and leave her miserable job. She needed the money. There was no other job that accepted her. In fact, she was surprised at first that Joja hired her. It wasn’t until several months later that they only hired her to make their charts look better for diverse hiring statistics. 

Maeve sighed, sitting in her cubicle of an office, waiting for another call. She escaped being forced into a box only to be forced into a box. The number of similarities was scary, she told herself. Uniforms, conformity, limitations, etcetera. But she merely shrugged, feeling powerless. 

**_RING RING! RING RING! RING RI-_ **

“Hello, life’s better with Joja. How may we assist you today?” Maeve regurgitated.

“Yes, I would like to complain about a recent purchase!” the customer barked on the other line.

Maeve rolled her eyes. She was all used to rude patrons, but still, it was a doozy to take care of.

“Would you mind explaining what you have an issue with?” Maeve asked, leaning back in her chair.

“I bought some cauliflower at one of your stores today and when I came back I discovered there was mold on all of the cauliflowers!” the person wailed.

“I am most sorry to hear that, ma’am. Do you happen to know what the expiration date says on the package you bought?” Maeve asked.

“I don’t need to tell you that! All you need to know is that you stocked moldy cauliflower!” the lady yapped.

Maeve pinched the bridge of her nose. “Okay then,” she sighed out, “could you please tell us the location of the JojaMart you shopped at today?”

“It was the one in Zuzu City!”

“Ma’am, there are several JojaMarts in Zuzu City, could you mind elaborating on which one you shopped at?”

“I’m telling you, I shopped at the JojaMart in Zuzu City!”

“There are multiple JojaMarts in Zuzu City. Do you know the address of the JojaMart in question?”

“No, but I know that it was in Zuzu City!”

Maeve was grinding her teeth at this point. If this wasn’t her job, she would’ve barked back at the lady at this point.

“Can you please wait on hold?” Maeve asked abruptly.

“Wha-!” Maeve placed the customer on hold and leaned over to the side of her desk. She needed to find the file on JojaMart locations in Zuzu City. As she opened the first metal drawer, she quickly realized that she opened the wrong drawer.

However, a white piece of paper caught the corner of her eye. Giving her full attention to it, she realized that it wasn’t a piece of paper, but rather an envelope with a purple wax seal. Despite its many years of existence, there was somehow not a single smudge, splotch, yellowing, or sign of deteriorating paper. The envelope was pale white and crisp, the purple seal was still vivid and intact. 

_ She was only seven at the time, the war had lasted for several years but little did everyone know that it was just the mere beginning. Her grandparents had split when she was a baby. Maeve only ever met her grandmother as her grandfather was on the other side of the water, the other side of the war, as some people would say. And yet, despite never meeting his granddaughter, she received gifts overseas every year that he was alive when she was. Every birthday and Vǔl he always had gifts for her. And while her grandparents hated each other, they had the decency to have an unwavering connecting love to Maeve. Her grandmother was always the one to give the gifts to her and there was always a genuine smile on the old woman’s face whenever Maeve opened up the gifts. _

_ The air was hot and the wind was harsh. It was another mandatory in-shelter day due to the highly polluted air. The Ferngillian Air Force had swooped in the dead of night and blown up a weapons factory. It was odd looking back now to be thankful that it was only a bullet factory and not something more explosive, like a bomb or tank factory. That afternoon, the raging fires gave the people a second summer as the temperatures reached unprecedented highs for it being the latter half of fall. It was a week before Maeve’s eighth birthday. Her parents were counting up the money they had saved up over the year to buy a carton of sweet gem berries. The news anchor was statically giving constant updates on the explosion and raging fires and Maeve was finishing up her school project for science class when there was a sudden knock at the front door. _

_ Everyone in the house froze. No one knew who was on the other side as people weren’t supposed to be out in the first place. Maeve’s father rushed to the door and opened only to see his mother covering her nose and mouth with a sheer scarf. She tripped into the house, coughing up a storm. The adults helped her in and set her down in the living room where Maeve sat on the wooden floor, staring at anything but her project. Maeve bolted up and ran towards her grandmother. _

_ “Granny Yunma! Are you okay?” she asked in her native tongue.  _

_ Her grandmother nodded her head and coughed a few more times before finally removing the scarf covering herself. _

_ “Why did you come here, mama?” her father asked. _

_ Granny Yunma reached for her dress pocket with thin, shriveled, shaky hands. “Maeve sweetie, come closer,” she instructed. _

_ Maeve took a few steps up to her grandmother. Granny Yunma’s eyes were wide and bright green, a wet glimmer appearing in the ducts of her eyes. _

_ “I received this in the mail today. It’s… it’s the last gift from grandpap.” Her voice wavered more than usual, the tears beginning to roll down her flat cheeks. _

_ Maeve took the envelope with confusion. Her small fingertips brushed the purple wax seal with curious fascination. _

_ “Don’t open it,” Granny Yunma said. “Grandpap wants you to wait to open it.” _

_ “When?” Maeve asked, cocking her head to the side. _

_ “When you’re much older, like your parents' age. You’ll have a job then, perhaps a family. But, life can be a lot for one person. If you ever feel that way when you’re older and as though you have no meaning in life, that’s when he wants you to open it.” _

Maeve still had a hard time wrapping around the concept back then that he was dead. She never saw him in person, which only added to the confusion. But she was older now and she fully knew what her grandmother back then was trying to tell her.

With dry fingertips, Maeve reached in and grabbed the envelope. Her dull green eyes stared at the mauve purple seal. Was it time to finally break the perfection that was the seal? Was there any meaning to her life?

…

…

No. There wasn’t.

Without any hesitation, Maeve opened the envelope, breaking the seal all in one piece. The paper contained in the envelope had seen better days, but in its defense, it was written on 25 years ago. Maeve lightly pinched the folded paper and pulled it out with care, as though it was porcelain. She slowly unfolded the letter, revealing two pieces of paper. She hadn’t seen her grandfather’s handwriting in so long. Despite missing him dearly, she didn’t feel sorrow or pain when staring at his old penmanship, but rather nostalgic and refreshed. It was nice to see something different for once, as it was rare to do so since Maeve’s day was a constantly repeating cycle. After unfolding the papers, Maeve read the letter for the first time.

**_Dear Maeve,_ **

**_If you’re reading this, you must be in dire need of a change._ **

**_The same thing happened to me, long ago. I’d lost sight of what mattered most in life… real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong._ **

**_I’ve enclosed the deed to that place… my pride and joy: Steele Farm. It’s located in Stardew Valley, on the southern coast. It’s the perfect place to start your new life._ **

**_This was my most precious gift of all, and now it’s yours. I know you’ll honor the family name, my dear. Good luck._ **

**_Love,_ **

**_Papa Usamah_ **

Maeve’s thin lips stretched out in a tight-lipped grin as she flipped over to the second piece of paper. To her surprise, she saw what appeared to be the same letter, only written in Gotorian. She found it amusing. It was brought up from time to time that her grandfather was trying to pick up Gotorian in hopes of being able to communicate with the whole family. He got quite far with the complex language, but he was by no means fluent. The copy of the letter got a good chuckle out of Maeve. One that, unfortunately, escaped her lips.

“Get back to work, Ms. Steele,” one of the higher-ups gruffed, staring down at her from her chair.

Maeve’s eyes snapped over at the higher-up, back at the letter, then back at the higher-up, then back at the letter, and then back at the higher-up once more. The wheels began to turn in her brain. Every day she yearned to escape her miserable life, the problem was that she had nowhere to escape to. But now, with this old letter in her hands, she had a place she could go. An entire farm left in her name. It was just ready for her to snatch up and start anew. 

But, was it reasonable? Could she actually make a living just farming all day? And what was this valley like? She only ever heard of it once or twice while walking through the heart of ZuZu City seeing a flyer or two for one of their festivals. She usually scoffed at them, as the couple of festivals she did know of were clearly taken from her people from long ago. Luau? Clearly, it was their version of Liṗa, the celebration of summer. Egg Festival? Once again, a clear rip-off of the Gotorian holiday, Prive, the celebration of spring.

Granted, these holidays were probably passed down from some white smartass hundreds of years ago and they didn’t know any better. Besides, within the past several decades only those who dared to celebrate those holidays did so in silence. Just the mere thoughts of the current ruler of the land across the sea made her mouth taste sour. 

Then again, she hadn’t celebrated her cultural holidays in decades herself. The last time she celebrated any Gotorian holiday was Vǔl was when she was nine. That was the night she and her father received the horrid news regarding Maeve’s mother.

Maeve shook her head violently. Looking over to her right and seeing that the higher-up was still standing there, almost as though he was waiting for a response of some kind, she realized as she looked at the letter that she did have a response for the man.

“Actually,” Maeve said, standing up and pushing the metal drawer back in. “I quit.”

The higher-up, a man who appeared to be in his late 40s, took a step back in apparent shock. “I-I-I’m sorry, but what did you say?”

Maeve slowly turned to face him, resting one hand on her desk, the other clenching the letter as delicately as possible. Her green eyes pierced the man’s soul.

“Did I stutter? I said, I quit.”


	2. Keeping the Ol' Art of Fishing Alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rating was bumped up because of this chapter. Mild swearing, but more importantly, the mention of injuries and blood in this chapter. Not super graphic, but just a heads up for those who are squeemish.

When Maeve awoke in the morning, she nearly had a heart attack whilst falling face-first onto the old hardwood floor. Just for a split second, she forgot the brash decision she made, moving to Pelican Town and taking over her grandfather’s farm, if one could even call it that. 

“Ow,” she groaned out. Not only from the miserable face plant, but from yesterday’s work. 

Yesterday was her first day in Pelican Town. Steele Farm was most certainly impressive, but it was also seriously overgrown and dilapidated, to say the least. Mayor Lewis had left a kind gift of some parsnip seeds in the small, quaint cabin that Maeve had now called home. However, the gift came at a cost. In order to plot out a measly three by five meter area of gardening land, she had to chop down several trees, pick away at a handful of stones that she swore had roots, and decimate the random debris laying around. The weeds and fiber weren’t as bad as she thought, taking care of that stuff was quite a breeze.

But that was all behind her. She had to focus on the now, and today was the now. 

Maeve rolled over and got up off the floor, standing up and stripping herself of her pajamas. She didn’t have a whole lot to wear. It wasn’t that she downsized, well, she did, but that wasn’t the real reason as to why her options of clothing were quite limited. She could never afford to have more clothes than what was absolutely necessary. The only clothes that didn’t seem necessary but that she kept were ones that were indeed necessary, just not to a non-Gotorian. This primarily consisted of cultural attire such as her pȧrioa or her gȧipa that was passed down from her family, mainly from her mother’s will.

She grabbed her trusty pair of jeans and her only casual shirt that she owned, which was a deep purple t-shirt that she found at her old local thrift shop a few years ago. Maeve adored the shop, but not long after she discovered the gem of a place it was forced to shut down and quit business.

Before getting ready the rest of the way, Maeve shuffled over to the left corner of her house where a heavily used cardboard box sat. Sitting on top of the tall pile was a small pot. On the first day, she asked Robin if there was any way to test the river water for its cleanliness. After a quick call on Robin’s end, a young woman came over with some gadgets and doodads. She introduced herself as Maru, who was one of Robin’s kids. Maeve felt kind of bad that someone came over to test the river water for her, but Maru insisted. It gave her something to do instead of being stuck in the house all day, she said. After some quick tests, Maru said that the river water was safe to consume, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to boil it prior to consumption.

It wasn’t a long walk over to the river, but it was most certainly a difficult stroll. Rocks, trees, and other miscellaneous debris that she hadn’t cleared out yet were in her way. As she made her way, she couldn’t help but take the scenery in. The farm and its surrounding area was most certainly a change, but it was a more than welcomed change. Maeve hadn’t been in nature since, well, her time in the Gotoro Empire. And even then, the nature near her house consisted of the few planted trees scattered around the poor neighborhood she and her family called home. So maybe she had never really been in an area of true nature, but hey, there was a first time for everything. The thick forestry separated by scattered rocks and a crisp river was a lot more friendly compared to the smog infested, tower-crowding city. 

Finally arriving at the river, Maeve kneeled down on the ground, unafraid to get her jeans a bit dirty, and scooped her pot down into the river, filling it up with cold, freshwater. As she stood back up, she decided to head in another direction. One filled with a lot less debris and obstacles in general. While making her way back, making sure to not spill any of the water, she filled the fresh outdoor air with a whistled tune.

Stepping over a rock, she began to quietly sing along to the tune in her head in her native tongue.

_Of buttercups and kaseya berries_

_Of love and pǔkawa jellies_

_In reflection of the land, our hearts beat and glow_

_We are the people of the sacred Gotoro_

Maeve smiled to herself. It was the song of the Gotoro Empire. It seemed weird to sing the national anthem of her birth country, but it was the one thing the crooked emperor refused to change, knowing that if he replaced the tribe-written anthem, he would surely be questioned. She didn’t stop herself and continued.

_Of soft winters and warm summers_

_Of echoing strummers and thundering drummers_

_In reflection of the waters, our voices ring above and below_

_We are the people of the sacred Gotoro_

The path back was much quicker, as Maeve soon arrived at the small patch of crops. Across the way, she saw her small metal mailbox. Attached to it was the dinky little red plastic flag; it stuck straight up beside the mailbox.

Making a mental note to check it in a few minutes, Maeve walked around the crops and back into the wooden house of hers. Placing the pot onto the stove, she twisted one of the knobs in front of her and turned on the coil closest to her. The dingy stove reminded her of the stove she and her father used back in the small apartment they shared in Zuzu City. 

With the stove now on, Maeve stepped outside and made her way to the mailbox. To her surprise, there was indeed something in her mailbox when she opened it. One piece of mail laid there alone. Grabbing the piece of mail, she turned around and closed the mailbox behind her. Making her way to the stairs, she began to open the envelope. Once sitting down, Maeve took out the letter and read it. 

**_Hello there,_ **

**_Just got back from a fishing trip. You should come down to the beach some time._ **

**_I’ve got something for ya._ **

**_-Willy_ **

  
  
  


Maeve quirked an eyebrow. Who was Willy? Why did he send her a letter? Did he somehow know her? Maeve sighed, getting up off the stairs and entering the house. She placed the letter on the small circular dining table across the stove and she took a seat. While she waited for the water to come to a boil, her mind wandered wherever it pleased. One of the places it landed was in the past.

_Maeve sat at the small circular dining table across the kitchen, waiting for the water to boil. Today was the day, she thought to herself. She had told herself that many times before, but this time she truly meant it. She would have to tell him, eventually. There was no denying that. Especially since she planned on moving in with them after she graduated._

_Today was the day she would introduce Renée to her father._

_Renée Duvault was her girlfriend. They had been dating for a little over a year now. The two had talked about moving in together after graduation recently since it was quickly approaching. She was getting a degree in Audio Production while Maeve was getting a similar degree, one in Media Production._

_The two first met in a sophomore class at Zuzu College of Art and Design. They were partnered up for an assignment that day and the two hit it off. Maeve wasn’t made fun of and Renée wasn’t rejected and left alone. As time progressed, so did their friendship. It wasn’t until one night in particular when the two went to a party that everything changed._

_Maeve was the designated driver, which was a good thing because Renée got loaded and trashed. She was wasted drunk and Maeve knew she would need to hold her hair up while her best friend threw up in the closest toilet bowl in a few hours. Renée was filling up another red cup of cheap piss-beer when Maeve approached her._

_“Renée, we need to go,” Maeve said sternly._

_Renée hiccuped and gave Maeve puppy eyes. “But why?” she whined._

_“Because, you’re super drunk. You really shouldn’t drink any more,” Maeve explained._

_After some more whining and back and forth, Maeve convinced Renée to leave the party. As the two walked out into the cool, crisp fall outdoors, Renée stumbled over in Maeve’s direction._

_“S-Sorry,” she slurred._

_Maeve blushed and put her arm around her. “It’s alright.”_

_“You’re so nice, you know?” Renée said, hiccuping afterward. “The world is so mean and cruel to you, and yet, you’re so kind. You have the patience and audacity to take care of me. I don’t deserve it.”_

_Maeve frowned. “That’s nonsense,” she said. “You deserve everything.”_

_Renée looked up. “What do you mean?” she slurred._

_What did she mean? Well, of course, Maeve meant how she deserved the whole world. She deserved the earth and the heavens. She deserved all that Yoba had created for humanity. Maeve didn’t deserve any of it, she thought to herself. One look at Renée again and her mind switched gears. Was tonight the night that her feelings would unfold? Sure, she was a young adult, barely the legal drinking age, but she was an adult. This wasn’t high school where you prance around your feelings all day. The only thing that stopped her from spilling everything out was the fear. The fear of rejection. But why should she fear rejection? Renée was the only person in her life that didn’t treat her like shit. The only person that didn’t kick her to the curb, figuratively and literally, at who she was as a person. Renée accepted who Maeve was through and through. The positives and the negatives. They were all the same in Renée’s beautiful, round, sea-blue eyes._

_Yoba, did she accidentally drink some booze?_

_“I mean,” Maeve started, her mouth growing dry, “I mean that you deserve everything. I don’t deserve anything. You’re like a gift from the heavens, from Yoba itself.”_

_Renée halted in the middle of the neighborhood road. Maeve did the same. The two stood under a warm yellow streetlight._

_Renée sniffed, her eyes watering up. “Maeve, I hate seeing you put yourself down. You’re too precious to do that to yourself.”_

_Maeve felt her face heat up. “P-Precious?” she asked, pointing to herself._

_Renée put her hands on Maeve’s shoulders. “Beautiful, gorgeous, inspirational, loving, precious. That’s what you are. With your dark auburn hair and your bright, glimmering green eyes. Your dark skin and your lovely thin lips. If I hadn’t known any better, I’d thought Yoba made you by hand and sent you down here.”_

_Maeve felt light-headed. She couldn’t tell if Renée was telling the truth because of her lack of inhibition or if she was buzzed enough to make everything she said to come across as romantic. Here she was, getting showered in borderline flirtatious compliments by her drunken best friend. How was she supposed to process any of this?_

_“Beautiful? Gorgeous? I-”_

_Renée’s lips slammed into Maeve’s. Maeve could taste the mix of alcohols from Renée. She practically felt intoxicated from the tastes on Renée’s lips. Renée’s hands wrapped around Maeve’s neck as she deepened the drunken kiss. Maeve couldn’t complain, so she smiled in her kiss and let her hands travel around Renée’s waist. This was what Maeve secretly yearned after for nearly a year. She didn’t know how long the kiss lasted, but it felt like forever. The feeling of having one’s love reciprocated was such a feeling that gave a high like no other._

_After that fateful night, the two began dating. Sure, there were some rocky times in their relationship, but it was all normal in Maeve’s eyes. After dating for over a year, the two agreed that it was time to tell her father. Maeve had already introduced herself to Renée’s parents. The two were an absolute pleasure to be around, charming and ever so sweet. Maeve loved her partner’s parents with all her heart. They didn’t judge who she was and they even wanted to know all about the cultural differences. Most of the time, people responded with disgust at learning about the Gotorian culture, but Renée’s parents were simply fascinated and begged to learn everything. The good, the bad, the ugly._

_But this wasn’t them. This was her father._

_As if on queue, heavy shuffling filled the apartment._

_“Mornin’,” Maeve’s father said in his native language. “The water’s ready.”_

_As Maeve stood up, there was a knock at the door._

There was a knock at the door. 

And the water was boiling.

Maeve blinked in realization and got up to turn off the stove as she made her way to the front door. As she opened the door, she saw a familiar face in an unfamiliar getup. 

“Mornin’!” Maru was on the other side of the door. A wide grin plastered her face. 

“Hi!” Maeve responded. She pointed to Maru. “What’s with the doctor outfit?” There was a certain term that Maeve couldn’t place in English. She bit her lip in concentration. She was quite proficient, practically fluent, in English, but being bilingual did have its difficulties. The number of times she could think of a word in one language but not in another was infuriating.

“You mean the scrubs?” Maru said. Maeve’s eyes lit up in realization. “I work at the clinic in town,” she explained, pointing her thumb to her right.

“Oh!” Maeve exclaimed. “What brings you here, then?”

Maru yawned. “I just wanted to check up on you. The water hasn’t killed you, right?”

Maeve shook her head. “Nope, can’t say it has,” she said. She turned to look at the pot of water before looking back at Maru. “Want some coffee?” 

Maru grinned. “Sure! I can’t stay for too long, though.”

Maeve motioned Maru in the house. “No need to. I can just hand you the coffee and you can be on your way.” Maru took a few steps into the house. “Do you want any additives?” Maeve asked.

There was silence. Maeve looked over to see a confused Maru. “Additives?” 

“You know, the stuff you add to coffee. Cream and sugar?”

Maru’s mouth opened wide. “Ooh, add-ins.”

“Add-ins!” Maeve repeated. “Sorry ‘bout that.” She turned to grab the instant coffee.

“No, no, it’s all good,” Maru said. “To answer your question, I don’t need any cream or sugar. The doctor loves his coffee, so he always has some nearby.” There was a long pause with silence filling the atmosphere.

“Add-ins,” Maeve whispered to herself. “Add-ins.”

“Um, I don’t mean to sound rude, but is English not your first language?” Maru asked suddenly, as though she didn’t know Maeve was talking to herself.

Maeve tensed up. Plenty of people asked her that, and while it wasn’t ever really an offensive question to ask, the responses she got whenever she explained that no, English was not her first language, were always offensive. 

“What gave it away, the accent or the lexicon fuck up?” Maeve asked nonchalantly, attempting to mask how insecure and vulnerable she felt. 

Maru giggled. “The latter, if I’m being honest. I’ve never heard an accent like yours in my life, and up until this point your English has been fluent.” She shifted around, the floorboards creaking along with her actions. “But don’t feel bad, please! English is a very difficult language to learn, I commend you!”

As Maeve poured the boiling hot water into the cups, she couldn’t help but feel so ecstatic by Maru’s response. She wasn’t offended at her bilingualism? Then again, most people weren’t offended by people knowing multiple languages in general. It was just as soon as one spoke up that the other language spoken was the one spoken by the enemy, that’s when people began having issues. 

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Maru said, “how do you say coffee in your language?” She then waved her hands in a canceling motion. “You don’t have to tell me! You’re not a circus act or some exotic display. I bet you get questions like that all the time, I apologize!”

Maeve couldn’t help but smile as she stirred the coffees. It wasn’t every day that someone wanted to learn more about Gotorian. Granted, Maru didn’t know it was Gotorian.

“Actually, I don’t mind it at all,” Maeve said, picking up one of the cups. “But you’ll probably be disappointed to know it’s one of the words we borrowed from English since it’s a foreign drink where I’m from, so it’s not all that different.” Maeve chose her words very carefully as to not reveal anything that could offend. As she gave Maru the steaming hot mug, she let herself lean into the full accent. “Kofė.”

Maru smiled. “Thank you so much for the, erm, kofe?” she said, trying to repeat the foreign word.

Maeve chuckled. “Close enough.”

Maru made her way to the door, grinning in amusement. “Well, I best be going. Thank you again!”

Maeve smiled as Maru began walking off the property. “Of course! Bye!” She shut the door and grabbed the other cup of coffee.

Making herself comfortable, Maeve plopped down on the wooden chair and took a sip of her coffee. Plain, black coffee with no add-ins, additives, or whatnots added to it. Just the way it should be, she thought to herself, taking another sip.

Despite wanting to enjoy her cup of caffeine, she couldn’t laze around all day. She now had crops to take care of, even if the crops consisted of fifteen parsnips. It may have been a measly number, but it was a start.

Gulping down the rest of her coffee, Maeve got up and grabbed her tools before stepping outside and making her way towards her sprouting plants. She checked for any weeds or pests before watering each soon-to-be parsnip individually. As she watered her crops, she thought of the letter she received in the mail.

Should’ve asked Maru about Willy, Maeve thought. She heard the vague crashing of the waters against the shore, but only if she focused really hard on it. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have known there was a beach here in Pelican Town. Maeve couldn’t even remember when she was at a beach last. Did she even ever go to a beach in her life?

Nourishing the last parsnip spud with hydrating goodness, Maeve set down her tools on the worn porch and raked her fingers through her dark, wavy hair. The sun was rising higher in the sky by the minute. It was mid-morning and was already getting warm. At least it wasn’t going to get any warmer for the rest of the day. It was only spring, after all. 

Maeve sighed out a breath of hot air. There was nothing much else to do other than to go down to the beach and see what this Willy wanted. Running through her mental list once more to make sure she didn’t miss anything, Maeve stepped back into the house to grab her phone and keys. With one last quick inspection of the house, Maeve closed and locked the door behind her and began her leisurely stroll to the beach. 

While taking her time, she took in her surroundings. The dirt path easily kicked up dust, but it wasn’t anything Maeve wasn’t used to. To her right was a sea of trees blocked off by an old wooden fence. To her right was a bus stop with a bus that had clearly been out of service for who knows how long. There was also a rickety cart of some sort in the way back, almost swallowed up by the forestry back there. Ahead of her was the center of Pelican Town. The unnamed clinic that Maru worked at was the first building there. Beside it was Pierre’s General Store. 

Maeve beelined towards the south side of town, not wanting to bump into anyone at the moment. She knew she would have to introduce herself to everyone sooner or later, but now just wasn’t the time. Keeping her head down, she went deep into thought as she let her body go on autopilot.

Suddenly, the ground felt soft and uneven. Looking down, Maeve realized she had arrived at the beach. Looking around her, she saw some of the cleanest ocean water she’d ever seen. Ahead of her was a rickety appearing dock and some sort of storefront, at least, she presumed it was a store of some sort.

Making her way to the dock, she tried to walk in such a way as to not get any sand in her boots. Although, why bother? She was bound to get sand in them somehow, Maeve shoved her hands into her jean pockets as she let the dock creak under her heavy footsteps. Approaching the end of the dock in her direction, she looked around to see a disheveled man to the left. Making her way to the man, he turned around, holding a pipe in his hand.

“Ahoy there, lass,” he said. “Heard there was a newcomer in town; good to finally meet ya.”

Maeve cautiously stuck out a hand. “You must be Willy?” she asked.

He nodded, accepting the handshake. “And ya must be from the Empire,” she said with a friendly tone. Maeve took his comment as anything but.

Her face twisted into a sour expression. “How’d you know?” she asked, her tone laced with hostility.

Willy’s eyes widened. “I didn’t mean to offend ya, lass. It’s just not every day that I come across one of ya,” he said. “And I see a lot of people as a fisherman.”

“Uh-huh,” Maeve said, still not convinced. “Anything else to say?”

Willy looked at her quizzically. “About you specifically? Nah.”

Maeve returned the look but decided it was best to move on from the subject. Perhaps he wasn’t the best at socializing, so she begrudgingly gave him a second chance in her mind. “Why’d you ask me to come over?” she asked.

Willy pocketed his pipe and turned around to reach for a pole. “I was out fer a month on the salty seas,” he explained. “I caught myself a ton o’ fish,! Finally saved up enough to buy me a new pole.”

“Cool,” Maeve commented, unsure of what to say. Without warning, Willy stuck his arm out, fishing pole in hand.

“Here, I want you to have my old fishing rod,” he said. Maeve opened up her hands and accepted the sudden gift.

“Erm, thanks, I suppose,” she said, looking down at the rod. “But I don’t know how to fish.” She looked back up at him.

“It’s important to me that the art o’ fishing stays alive,” he said.

“About that,” Maeve said. “I really mean it when I say I don’t know how to fish. Like, at all.”

Willy turned around and grabbed another pole. “Don’t worry, lass. I’ll teach ya how.”

Maeve gave a baffled look. “When? Now?”

“Sure, why not,” Willy said. “There’s good water here in the valley. All kinds o’ fish. Even some from back home.” Maeve knew exactly what he was referring to when he said “home”.

“I,” Maeve breathed out. She shook her head, “Nevermind,” she muttered. She turned to look at him. “Alright then, teach me how to fish.”

Willy nodded, setting his pole aside. “What hand are ya?”

It took Maeve a moment to realize what he was asking. “Oh! Um, right-handed.”

“M’kay,” Willy said. “So take yer right hand and place it on the handle right by the reel.” Maeve did as he told. “Then place yer left hand right below.”

Maeve adjusted her grip. “Okay, then what?”

“Lean back with the pole,” he said, “and then cast yer line.”

Maeve bent back before aggressively throwing herself. “Like that?”

“Mmph, a little less enthusiasm, but other than that, you’re good,” he said. “Now, we just wait.”

Maeve looked around with slight worry. “Okay, then-”

The bamboo rod bent over, nearly pulling Maeve into the cold ocean. Willy jumped at the sudden jerk.

“Pull!” he yelled. “Pull with all yer might!”

Maeve took a few steps back as she pulled on the rod.

“Reel in the fish!” he said. “Counterclockwise towards ya!”

Fumbling around with the fishing pole, Maeve got her sweaty hand onto the reel handle and began reeling the catch in.

**_SPLOOSH!_ **

“Fuž!”

Maeve tripped over her feet and fell backward. The wind was punched out of her as she fell square on her back. Pain webbed out all over her face, starting in the direct center of it. Maeve dropped the rod and felt the pain shoot across her face once again.

“Ow,” she grumbled. She sat up, parting her wild hair to see Willy. “Did I catch it?” 

Willy had gone nearly pale. “Don’t move yer face,” was all he said.

“What? Why?” Maeve breathed in before shivering in shooting pain. “Ow!”

“I told ya not to move yer face!” he scolded.

Maeve patted her face around to feel what was going on, only for her to nearly prick herself on the hook. 

“Don’t be alarmed,” Willy said, “but ya kinda sorta have a hook through yer nose.”

Maeve’s eyes widened. “What?!” she shrieked. 

Willy ran over to Maeve, grabbing her arm with one hand and the pole with the other. “We’ve gotta go to Dr. Harvey,” he said hastily, hoisting her up.

“Who?” Maeve asked, taking the pole out of Willy’s hand.

“The town’s doctor,” Willy explained. “Don’t jerk the pole around.”

“I won’t,” Maeve said, before breathing in. She winced in pain.

“Breathe through your mouth,” Willy instructed, walking you off the beach.

Maeve breathed out through her mouth. “Got it.”

Looking down, Mave saw drops of crimson blood hit the soft sand. For getting a hook pierced through the nose, it didn’t hurt all that bad. Sure, she wanted to cry on the inside, but now wasn’t the time to express that externally. She had to move her face as little as possible. It was hard to not move the pole around too much as the two trod through the sand.

Eventually, they made it to hard land. Maeve looked up and saw some people walking around in town. Great, she hadn’t introduced herself to even half the town yet and this was how they were first going to see her: bloodied with a hook through her nose. How cordial. 

“Don’t worry,” Willy said, as though he was reading her mind, “we’re almost there.”

Maeve sighed. “I think I can feel the pain begin to really settle in, now.”

“That’s how most hook injuries are,” Willy admitted. “I have to hand it to ya, yer quite the tough one. Most people shriek in pure horror and can’t remain still fer two seconds.”

Maeve refused to look up. She didn’t want to see the faces of the villagers in the town. She was humiliated enough as is. Maeve chewed on the inside of her mouth as she saw blue out the corner of her eye.

The sound of a door opening with a light chiming entered Maeve’s ears. 

“‘Ello?” Willy called out. 

Still looking down at the ground, only to see a small pool of blood beginning to form on the white, sterile tile floor, Maeve heard a door opening.

“Hello Willy,” a familiar voice said. “Maeve?” Yep, it was Maru.

“Hey,” Maeve sighed out, not looking up.

“What happened?” Maru asked. Maeve couldn’t tell if she was asking her or Willy.

“I was teaching the young lass to fish, and well,” Willy tapped Maeve’s shoulder. “Could ya look up, please?” he whispered.

Maeve slowly raised her head, pulling her hair aside. She could see Maru’s eyes widened in worry. Maeve let out a nervous chuckle through her teeth.

“I’ll get Dr. Harvey right away.” Maru quickly exited the front desk area, leaving the two to stand there, waiting for the doctor.

Maeve turned to face Willy. “Shouldn’t we sit down?” 

Willy shook his head. “Dr. Harvey is very quick, he’ll be here any second.”

On queue, the door connecting the waiting room and hallway swung open, revealing a tall, almost-but-not-quite stocky man in his late thirties. His light, warm brunet hair in a slight wave, pushed back as to not fall in front of his glasses. He wore typical doctor attire, white coat and all.

Maeve looked down at the floor before looking back up and frowning. “I apologize about the floor, sir.”

He gave a warm smile. “It’s completely fine, miss. Now, if you’ll come back with me,” he said. He turned to Willy. “Thank you, Willy. You can go now if you wish.”

Willy turned to look at Maeve, who simply nodded in reassurance before he let go of Maeve and slowly left the clinic building. He waved goodbye and Maeve did the same before approaching the doctor, who took the lead and led her to the nearest room. 

“Please, take a seat,” he commanded kindly, gesturing to the exam table in the room.

Maeve walked over and slowly sat on the table as the paper crunched under her weight. She did her best to keep the pole in her hand steady as she sat down.

Dr. Harvey sat in his chair and began writing on a piece of paper he had attached to his clipboard. “I’m going to have my assistant grab a few pieces of equipment we’ll need to remove the hook out of your nose,” he said. He looked up at Maeve, his bright green eyes giving Maeve a feeling of warmth and comfort. 

“Okay," was all she said. 

The doctor stood up suddenly and made his way to the door. He handed the clipboard to someone on the other side that Maeve couldn’t see but knew was Maru. He quickly came back into the room, closing the door behind him.

“Alright,” he said, looking around his desk, “while we wait for her to get everything, I’m going to simply cut the fishing like so that you don’t have to hold the rod anymore.” He turned around with a pair of plain scissors in his hand. “I promise this won’t hurt.”

“I know,” Maeve chuckled out before flinching in pain, hissing afterward.

Dr. Harvey approached her. “Don’t move,” he breathed out, concentrating on the fishing line. With one quiet snip, he grabbed the pole and placed it so that it leaned on the wall. “There we go, that should do.”

Maeve readjusted herself, now being able to move freely aside from her face. 

Dr. Harvey cleared his throat, clearing the silent atmosphere. “While we wait for my assistant nurse to come back, why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself,” he said. “What’s your name?”

Maeve remained silent for a moment before speaking. “Erm, Maeve Steele.”

“M-a-e-v-e?” Dr. Harvey spelled out.

“Yep,” she replied. “S-t-e-e-l-e.”

“Can I get a middle name?” he asked. “For the records.”

For whatever reason, Maeve felt quite awkward and caught off guard by this conversation. She knew this was completely normal for any doctor to ask, and yet, she felt completely flustered.

Now it was Maeve’s turn to clear her throat. “Rȯza. R-o-z-a.” She didn’t bother trying to explain the accent to him.

“Date of birth?” he asked.

“Fall 20,” she replied. “1989.”

“Alright,” he said. “Just a couple more questions. Height and weight?”

“Five-eleven,” Maeve said. “And around one-fifty-nine pounds.”

“Thank you,” he said, typing away. “When I get your record in I’ll get the rest of the information in. For now, I just need the basics.”

Usually, Maeve felt awkward and sweaty in clinics. And while she still somewhat did, it wasn’t as bad as it normally was. Perhaps it was the fact that he was very friendly for a doctor, whatever that meant. That seemed to make the most sense.

A quiet knock was heard. Dr. Harvey stood up and opened the door, taking a metal tin of tools from Maru. 

“Thank you, Maru,” he said before closing the door again. He walked back over and placed his set of tools on the nearest counter.

He made his way over to the sink and began washing his hands. “Now, Miss Steele, this operation will be a little bit painful, but nothing to be scared about,” he said, turning the sink off and drying his hands off.

“Please, call me Maeve, Dr. Harvey,” she said. 

“Will do, Maeve,” Dr. Harvey said, grabbing a pair of latex gloves. “In return, you can just call me Harvey. We’re pretty casual here in Pelican Town,” he explained.

“Okay then, Harvey,” Maeve said. “So, what are you gonna do?”

Harvey walked over to Maeve and inspected the array of tools he had. “I’m going to take these pliers,” he said, picking up the tool in question, “and cut off the top half of the hook. Luckily, the bend isn’t in the nose, so pulling the other half out should be relatively easy and nearly painless.” He grabbed a small cloth and handed it to Maeve. “When I tell you to, hold the cloth up towards your nose, but don’t cover it,” he said.

“Mhm,” Maeve said.

“After that, I’ll clean the wound and put some gauze and bandaging on it. I’ll send you home with an antibiotic ointment and enough gauze and bandages to last a week,” he continued.

“Okay. I’m ready.”

“Good.” Harvey leaned in close to her face. It felt weird but not uncomfortable by any means.

Maeve instinctually bit her lip and sucked in a bunch of air as she felt the hook shift ever so slightly. 

**_SNAP!_ **

Maeve let go of her lip as Harvey took a step back, holding the semi-bloody half hook.

“Now that wasn’t painful, was it?” he asked. Maeve shook her head. “Good, good. I’d like you to hold the cloth up, now,” he instructed.

She did as he requested. He placed the pliers down along with the piece of the hook as he grabbed a fairly large pair of tweezers.

“This part is going to hurt,” he said. “But not much. Are you ready?”

Maeve sighed out. “Guess there’s no point in delaying the inevitable, is there?” Harvey shook his head in amusement. “I’m ready,” she breathed out.

“Okay,” he said, approaching her once again. He stuck the tweezers slightly up her nose to get a good grip on the other half of the hook. “Three, two, one-”

“Gah!”

Maeve curled forward in pain, trying her best to not put the cloth in her nose. Seeing some more blood dripping and staining the white matierial, she understood what the cloth was for. Some clinking and clanking was heard before a pair of hands fell onto her shoulders. She looked up to see Harvey.

“The big part is over,” he said. “You did it!”

Maeve grinned. “I suppose I did.”

Harvey grinned in return. “Let’s finish this up, shall we?”

Maeve couldn’t stop smiling as Harvey dressed her wound. She hoped he didn’t notice.


	3. Appendix A: Gotorian to English Dictionary

_This dictionary/glossary will be updated as chapters are posted._

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 **A** **_(ah)_ **

**Ȧ** **_(ae)_ **

**B** **_(bee)_ **

**Č** **_(ch)_ **

**D** **_(dee)_ **

**E** **_(eh)_ **

**Ė** **_(ee)_ **

**F** **_(eff)_ **

**Fuž** _[fuh-zya]_

A profane word roughly meaning “shit”. The transliteration is “bear feces”.

**G** **_(gee)_ **

**Gȧipa** _[gae-pah]_

A winter cloak often worn as holiday attire for Vul.

**H** **_(aech)_ **

**I** **_(ie)_ **

**J** **_(jay)_ **

**K** **_(kay)_ **

**Kaseya** _[kah-say-yah]_

An orange-red berry known for its sugary sweet taste. Native to the Gotoro Empire, it’s one of the more expensive produce in the country.

**Kofė** _[koh-fee]_

A beverage brought over from the Ferngill Republic. The bean is considered an invasive plant but is still farmed and sold as an expensive product in the Empire.

**Ǩ** **_(qu)_ **

**L** **_(el)_ **

**Liṗa** _[liph-ah]_

The summer holiday in the Gotoro Empire. Celebrated on the first day of summer.

**M** **_(mm)_ **

**N** **_(nn)_ **

**O** **_(oh)_ **

**Ȯ** **_(oo)_ **

**P** **_(pee)_ **

**Pȧrioa** _[pair-eeo-ah]_

A skirt made from dried grass. Worn as holiday attire for Liṗa.

**Pǔkawa** _[poo-ka-wah]_

Wish, the entity of a wish. It is also known for being the name of a rare species of jellyfish that migrate in the summer and fall seasons and are well known for its glowing bodies.

**Ṗ** **_(ph)_ **

**R** **_(rra)_ **

**S** **_(ss)_ **

**Š** **_(sh)_ **

**T** **_(tee)_ **

**U** **_(uh)_ **

**Ŭ** **_(you)_ **

**V** **_(vee)_ **

**Vǔl** _[vool]_

The winter holiday in the Gotoro Empire. Celebrated on the first day of winter.

**W** **_(wah)_ **

**X** **_(ha)_ **

**Y** **_(ya)_ **

**  
****Z** **_(za)_ **

**Ž** **_(zya)_ **


End file.
